With residential burglary and other crimes on the rise, residential security has likewise increased. The use of more and more elaborate locking, alarm and other security systems on residences has become commonplace. There is, however, one part of a residence where there have been relatively few advances in security--the garage. Garages are often connected to the residence by a door inside the garage. Once inside a garage, an intruder can easily make his way into the residence.
There are relatively few proven ways of protecting a garage from entry by intruders. Often, a residence that may be secured with sophisticated locks and alarms may have a garage that is only secured by a padlock on the garage. Padlocks or other locks often have proven insufficient to overcome the strength and/or ingenuity of an intruder. Further, garages having automatic garage door openers provide little security and often sacrifice security for convenience. Automatic garage door openers comprise chain-driven door openers, belt-driven door openers, and shaft-driven openers and the like. An intruder can open a garage door equipped with an automatic garage door opener with relative ease, since there is usually sufficient looseness in the various joints, the tracks/carriage/drive connections and the door construction itself to permit wedging of the door bottom and unauthorized entry.
Security mechanisms for garage doors are well known in the art. However, these security mechanisms have design characteristics that can be improved. For instance, conventional security mechanisms may not be attachable to a pre-existing garage door equipped with an automatic garage door opener. Further, conventional security mechanisms may not provide adequate security against an unauthorized entry. Other security mechanisms may be complex and require delicate adjustment and constant maintenance in order to function on a reliable, ongoing basis.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a security mechanism for securing a movable closure supported within a support frame which provides security and is convenient to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security mechanism for securing a closure supported within a support frame, the closure being automatically movable by a mechanical opening element.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a garage door security mechanism for securing a garage door to a garage door frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a garage door security mechanism for securing a garage door to a garage door frame, the garage door being movable by an automatic garage door opener which automatically secures and unsecures the garage door.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safe, dependable, easy to install and use and inexpensive security mechanism for closures which works simultaneously and in conjunction with an existing mechanical opening element.
It is another object of this invention to provide a security mechanism for closures which prevents unauthorized entry by using a pivoting locking latch system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security mechanism for closures having mechanical opening elements which does not require major alterations to the existing automatic opening system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security mechanism for closures which does not require delicate adjustment and constant maintenance in order to function on a reliable, ongoing basis.